123,000 South Carolinians are in the health insurance coverage gap

But there’s a solution…

Why?

123,000 uninsured South Carolinians are now in the coverage gap, where they are unable to enroll in Medicaid or get tax credits to help buy coverage in the new marketplace. These South Carolinians fall below 100 percent of the federal poverty guideline ($20,160 for a family of three and $11,880 for an individual), do not qualify for Medicaid, and make too little to qualify for tax subsidies to buy insurance through the marketplace.

Closing the gap is smart for SC

Closing the gap is a smart investment in the hard-working people who call South Carolina home, raise their families here and make the economy tick. More and more South Carolinians are working but not getting the health coverage they need through their jobs.

Closing the gap will help children and families by enabling parents to access healthcare. Children who are eligible for health insurance are three times more likely to enroll if their parents also have insurance. Also, studies have found that insured children whose parents are also insured are more likely to receive check-ups and other care as compared to insured children whose parents are uninsured.

Closing the gap is good for our economy and businesses. Workers with health insurance for themselves and their families miss less work due to illness and are more productive. There will be a decrease in the upward pressure on premiums paid by businesses due to less cost shifting for healthcare services for the uninsured. A University of South Carolina study indicates that if the state accepts the $4.7 million federal dollars per day to close the gap, it could create 44,000 new jobs not just in the healthcare field but on Main Street due to increased consumer demand.

take action

We need to urge our legislators to accept federal assistance like Arkansas, Kentucky, and New Jersey, and join the other 31 states and the District of Columbia in closing the coverage gap for their citizens. The 1.7 billion dollars a year we turn down will help both our low-income uninsured citizens and our economy.

Let our legislators know that South Carolinians want to Close the Gap and ensure all of our citizens have access to affordable health insurance coverage.